The New Girl
by Cardinal's Shadow
Summary: A new girl comes to the Palm Woods and easily captures the hearts of a couple of the boys. The question is, who'll capture HERS? Carlos/OC? James/OC? who knows? My first story up here, so PLEASE give it a chance, even though it sounds like all the others.
1. The Palm Woods Initiation

I sighed, opening the door to Apartment 3J at the Palm Woods apartment complex in Los Angeles. I was here as a favor both to me and to my parents; they'd gone off on a mission trip to Puerto Rico for the summer and didn't want me to have to stay with my deranged grandparents in their tiny one-bedroom apartment in Walla-Walla. With that in mind, they decided to ship me off to the Palm Woods, which was run by my _incredibly_ nasty uncle Reginald (I swear, Dad's parents must have been _pissed_ to have a second son, giving him a name like _Reginald_). Anywho… I moved in and am going to be staying here for the summer. Here's hoping I'll be able to avoid Uncle Reg.

Unpacking was pretty quick; I only had a few bags of clothes and a small bath bag with my toothbrush and such. Once I was done with that, I quickly changed out of my travel clothes and into a new outfit for the pool I'd seen while I was checking in. Once that was done, I pulled out one of the towels I'd brought and left the room, going down the hall to the elevator. As I rode down, I thought about where I was; Palm Woods was the home of the "future famous," which made me feel kind of out of place. The thing is, I'm not really famous and I don't _plan_ on being famous any time soon. I did sing, and admittedly _really_ enjoyed it, but wasn't really planning on making a career out of it. I was actually thinking of becoming a pharmacist like my aunt (Dad's sister; no woman has enough lack of common sense to want to marry Reg), but I was still keeping my options open; I was only 16, after all.

I was still wrapped up in my thoughts as I got to the pool and laid my towel out on a lounger, but soon was pulled out of it when there was the sound of something that sounded almost like a battle cry. I pulled off my jacket, ignoring the cry, but then looked up when something moved in my peripheral vision. I bolted upright when I saw a group of four boys running towards the pool and tried to step aside to let them by. No such luck. One of them whacked me with the massive amount of noodles he was carrying and I lost my balance, falling backwards into the pool with a _tremendous_ splash. I closed my eyes as I landed on the bottom of the pool, then straightened out and kicked up to the surface.

Once my head broke the surface, I coughed to expel the water that'd gotten into my mouth and pushed my wet bangs out of my eyes. "You all right?" I heard a voice and looked up to see two of the guys from earlier on standing above me; one blond with _very_ bushy eyebrows and light green eyes, and the other with dark brown hair and matching eyes. The blonde smiled slightly when I put my shoes in front of them on the pool deck, "Well, looks like we caught you off-guard."

"No kidding," I agreed with a laugh myself, "But don't worry, I'm fine; one of the points of the pool is to swim, right?"

"Exactly," the dark-haired one said with a nod, "But still, we're sorry; we didn't even notice you until you landed in the pool."

"Let's just be thankful my phone wasn't in my pocket," I said, smiling as Blondie offered me a hand and helped me out of the pool.

"Sure you're okay?"

I nodded, "Definitely." Looking around, I noticed the other two members of the pack coming towards us, and I smirked when I saw that the helmet-clad shorter of the two, who was pretty _damn_ cute, if I do say so myself, was holding a stack of pool noodles, "So _you're_ the one who attacked me."

"That was _you_?" he asked and I looked down at my body; was the fact I was dripping all over the place not obvious enough? "I'm _so_ sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, I needed to cool off, anyway," I shrugged, picking up my towel and wrapping it around my shoulders, "By the way, I'm Erin. Erin Bitters."

"_Bitters_?" the last guy, who had incredible hair and absolutely _gorgeous_ hazel eyes, asked as the other three looked downright disgusted, "As in…?"

"The _horribly_ unpleasant manager of this place?" I finished, nodding sheepishly, "I'm afraid so; he's my uncle. Don't worry, though, I hate him as much as you guys do; I'm only here because my parents are off in Puerto Rico for a missions trip and I needed a place to stay."

"You seriously don't like him?" Noodle Boy asked.

I nodded, "Oh yeah; in my family he's the obnoxious relative that everyone secretly hopes can't make it to the family reunion. Everyone has one; I just am forced to live under mine for the summer." The guys all laughed and I smiled, pulling my light brown hair with purple tips (My sister-in-law is a cosmetologist and she was experimenting on me) out of its ponytail and shaking it out. As I retied it, I turned to Blondie, who seemed to be the default leader of the group, "So, is being knocked into the pool by a group of four _incredibly_ cute guys some kind of initiation or something?"

"No, more like a lucky accident," he told me with a smile, "By the way, I'm Kendall, and these are my friends Logan, James, and Carlos."

Each of the guys gave a little wave when Kendall introduced them, then Carlos narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at my neck, "Wait, does your necklace say 'Hockey'?"

"Yeah," I smiled, fingering it a bit, "I've been a Buffalo Sabres fan for as long as I can remember and my brothers and I always used to play together, so it's been a part of my family for, like, ever. Why do you ask?"

"We used to play back home in Minnesota," Logan explained with a shrug as we all sat down on some lounge chairs, "It's just something that we haven't even had a _chance_ to deal with since we got here."

"What, you never go to a Kings game or something?" I asked curiously.

Kendall shook his head, "We're always too busy."

"We're in a band," James put in quickly, clearly hoping to impress me.

"Oh, and you guys are always working late at the studio and don't have time for much extra stuff outside of work?" I asked, and they all nodded sadly. I pursed my lips, "Well, that sucks."

"We sometimes play floor hockey in our room," Carlos said, smiling slightly.

"But we usually get shut down," Logan added, his shoulders slumping.

"Yeah… uncle Reg doesn't really like anything even _remotely_ fun," I told the guys, "Don't take it personally; he hates everyone."

"Yeah, but he seems to hate _us_ the most of all," James told me, "We've already got two strikes; one more and we're out of here!"

"Oh, well then…" I bit my lip as I thought about that, then smiled, "I guess that means you guys like to have your fun." The guys all shrugged and I stood up, "Well, it was nice talking to all of you, but I think I'm gonna go change into some dry clothes and finish getting my apartment organized. Catch ya later."

"Wait," Kendall stopped me before I could leave, "What room are you in?"

"3J," I told him simply, picking up my jacket and phone and sliding my shoes back on, "See you around."

Turning my back on the guys, I walked away, but then heard them quietly arguing amongst themselves. Figuring it wasn't any of my business, I went through the lobby and to the elevators.


	2. Meeting Jo

**Okay, let me just start out by thanking my alert-ers (I guess that's the word to use XD) and reviewers! I feel nice, so I'm gonna reply to the reviews right now :D**

**Jewls: I'm glad you think so! I'm trying my best to make this different from all the others on here, so here's hoping you keep thinking that :)**

**mUsIcLoVeRr3: hehehe, yeah, I noticed that, too, so I thought it'd be fun to put in here. Only time will tell if it effects anything or not XD**

**I JUST realized that I never disclaimed the last chapter so... I don't own BTR (even though I TOTALLY want to), any other characters from the show, or any lyrics I might use; I only own my OC's and the plot (*grumble grumble*)**

**So... now that _that's_ out of the way, on with the show! :DDD  
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Once I'd gotten to the elevators, I stepped into one but then heard a voice, "Hold the elevator!" I stuck my foot in the doors to stop them from closing and smiled at a pretty blond girl who hopped in next to me. She smiled at me, leaning up against the side and panting as she jabbed her floor button, "Thanks." I just shrugged to say it wasn't a big deal, then she looked up at me, "Wait, you're a new face around here; when'd you get in?"

"Earlier on today," I said, "I'm Erin; Bitters' niece."

"Oh, I feel bad for you," she grimaced.

"So do I," I muttered, then smiled when she looked shocked, "I hate him as much as everyone else here, apparently."

"Well, glad to know he's not just hated here," the girl smiled, getting her breath back, "I'm Jo; welcome to the Palm Woods."

"Thanks; that's a better welcome than the one I got earlier," I said, rubbing my ears to help get rid of some of the water in them.

"Yeah, what happened to you?" she looked over my soaked body and shorts.

"Got knocked into the pool by a group of guys," I said with a shrug, "I'm not upset about it; it just caught me off guard."

"Wait; was one of the guys really tall with blond hair?"

"Bushy eyebrows?" I asked, and she nodded, "Yeah, you know him?"

"He's my boyfriend," she explained, smiling a bit, "You just got the literal crash course of Big Time Rush."

"Good to know," I said with a bit of a laugh, then turned when the doors opened, "Oh, here's my floor. Hey," I turned back to Jo, "Do you wanna come to my place for a bit? I could use the help getting things organized."

"Sure, sounds fun," she said with a smile, and we both left the elevator to go down the hall. I let her into the room, and she whistled, "Wow, this is impressive."

"I know, right?" I asked with a bit of a laugh, tossing my keys onto the coffee table, "I guess Reg is being nice to me since I'm family… and the fact he's got a _major_ crush on my mom probably helps."

"A crush on your mom?" Jo asked curiously.

"Uncle Reg is the youngest of three; he's got an older brother, my dad, and an older sister. He's always hated Dad, since he was the always 'cool brother.'"

"So hard to imagine," Jo said, laughing.

"I know, right?" I asked, laughing myself, "And when Dad married my mom, uncle Reg grew _majorly_ jealous. There's a picture of her and Dad on the fridge if you wanna see what they look like."

She curiously stood up and went over to the fridge. She nodded, smiling, "You look like your mom."

"I get that a _lot_," I said with another laugh, "Neither of us really sees it, though."

"Well, I sure do," she said, then pointed to another picture, "Who're all these guys?"

I leaned over the counter to see which she was pointing to and smiled a bit, "My older brothers; I'm the youngest."

"Well, growing up in your place had to be fun," she said sarcastically, but still smiled.

"Yeah, for them," I said with a smirk, "But I really didn't care; I'm a tomboy and always will be."

"What're they all up to these days?" Jo asked.

"Well…" I pursed my lips as I thought about it, coming around to hop up on the counter by the fridge. Jo hopped up next to me, and I pulled the picture off the fridge. Pointing to a brunette guy with hazel eyes, I started up, "That's Sean; he's four years older than me and the oldest kid. He's our wilderness minstrel; currently dating a great girl named Darcy he met through the Y. They both work at one near their apartment in San Francisco, and Sean plays sessions and stuff in some Irish pubs all around the city on the weekends. That one," I pointed to a black-haired boy who was a spitting image of my dad, "Is Kyle; the athlete of the family. He's the youngest brother, only a year older than me, and is _always_ doing some sort of sport; hockey, swimming, soccer, you name it."

"Wait, if he's only a year older than you, why isn't he here with you?" Jo asked.

"He's staying with Toby," I pointed to the last guy; an older-looking male version of myself with me jumping on his back, "He's the… I guess rebel of the family; married his girlfriend straight out of high school and moved straight out to Miami to get away from Mom and Dad. He still has a good relationship with all of us, though; he usually tries to come up and visit once or twice a month with his wife Olivia."

"What's he doing for a living? Is he going to school or something?"

I nodded, "Kind of; he's going to school part time, but his big thing is a tattoo and piercing pagoda he owns and runs."

"You two look a lot alike," Jo told me, looking down at the picture in my hands.

"This is an old picture," I said, then put the picture down and hopped down from the counter, "Be right back; lemme get some new pictures. Just get comfortable on the couch and I'll be right back."

She looked confused, but still obliged as I jogged into my room and unplugged my computer. Bringing it back out to the living room, I sat down in front of the plasma screen and attached the HDMI cable I'd brought with me to the computer. Hitting a few buttons, the image on my computer screen flashed up on the TV and Jo laughed, "Nice background."

I looked up at the TV to see the blown-up version of my wallpaper and laughed, "That's actually me smashing Sean into the boards at our local hockey rink; we always like to go down and play whenever we're all together. Now…" going into a folder, I pulled up a picture of me and Toby, "That's my latest picture of Toby."

"Whoa," Jo said, clearly taken aback by the numerous piercings and tattoos covering Toby's body.

"Yeah, that's usually the first reaction he gets," I said, smiling a bit, "But really he's a big softie; he looks a lot tougher than he is."

"You two close?"

I nodded, looking at her over my shoulder, "I've always been a little closer with him than Sean or Kyle, but I love all my brothers a _lot_."

"Well, that's good," Jo smiled, tucking her feet up under her legs, "Have any other current family pictures?"

That stemmed into about another hour of me scrolling through all my pictures and telling Jo more about my family. In exchange, she told me about her old life in North Carolina. By the time she had to go, we both knew more about each other than we probably ever wanted to know. She stood up from the couch, smiling, "Well, it was nice getting to know you; something tells me we're going to be _very_ good friends."

"No kidding," I said, laughing a bit and opening the door for her. Just then, the door across the hall opened and I turned, jumping a bit at who was leaving the corresponding apartment, "Kendall?"

He jumped at my voice, then turned and smiled when he saw me, "Oh, hey Erin, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just hanging out with your girlfriend here," I stood aside to let Jo into the doorframe, as well.

"Hey, I was just coming to look for you," Kendall smiled at Jo, then turned to me, "The guys and I were thinking we could all hang at our place tonight. You know, order some pizza and just chill. Would you two be interested?"

"Sounds like a good time," I said, sharing a look with Jo, "Would it just be us or some other people?"

"Just our friend Camille, too," he shrugged, then smiled again, "So, is that a yes?"

"What time?" I asked with fake exasperation, but smiled to show him I was kidding.

"Don't be so excited about it," he said playfully, "And about 6:00."

"Sounds good," I nodded, looking at my clock, which read 5:15, "See ya then."

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******Sorry, not much happens here; I just wanted to bring Jo into the story and give some background on Erin's family, so don't hold it against me *ducks rocks people throw for being so dull*! But yeahh... PLEASE REVIEW! They make my day and push me to update. In other words, the more reviews I get, the faster I update *wink wink nudge nudge ;D so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!******

**Okay, begging over *gets off of hands and knees*  
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	3. Oh Brother? Try 'Oh BROTHERS!

*****Once again, me no own Big Time Rush (*goes into corner to sulk in misery*) or their characters, and I _also_ don't own the lyrics I use in this; they're from _Manic Monday_ by The Bangles******

**Oh yeah, and yes, the guys are absent for the first part of the chapter, but just bear with me and don't skip over this! One of them'll show up, promise!  
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Jo left the apartment and I closed the door behind her, turning on my heel and going into my room to find a new outfit to wear. As I was rooting through my clothes, though, I heard the buzzer in the other room and rolled my eyes, going over to by the door and pushing the button, "Yeah, Uncle Reg?"

"There are some _boys_ here to see you," the contemptuous voice of my uncle floated out through the speaker, and I noticed how he said 'boys' with the same tone any relatively normal person may say 'dog crap.'

"Just send 'em up," I told him, taking my hand off the button and going back over to my room and continuing to sort through my clothes. When there was a knock at the door, I called out to the place, "Door's open!"

The door opened and I listened for another voice, but didn't hear anything. That is… until a few seconds later when a familiar voice floated into the room from the living area, "Well, well, who would those lovely people be?"

My face stretched into a smile as I leaned into the living area and saw Kyle and Toby looking at the TV screen, where there was a picture of the three of us from the last time Toby had come to visit. "Never thought I'd see you two out here," I said, and smiled when they turned around.

"Never thought we would either," Toby shot back, then opened his arms, "Now come here, you."

I smiled wider, running into the hug and smiling as he spun me around like a rag doll. Once he'd put me down, I turned to Kyle and tackled him, "What the heck are you two _doing_ here?"

"We're visiting Sean out in San Fran," Toby explained with a shrug.

"But isn't it, like, a six-hour drive from here to there?" I asked, cocking a curious eyebrow.

"Yes it is," Kyle nodded, "We borrowed Sean's car and drove out here."

"We're staying in a Days Inn down the road for the night and are gonna drive back tomorrow," Toby said with a shrug, "Liv's spending the night hanging out with Sean and Darcy."

"So, you're saying you drove _six_ hours from San Francisco just to see me? In _Sean's_ car?" when the guys nodded, I smirked, "I knew there was something I liked about you two," we all laughed, and I threw my arms around their necks in another hug. Kyle picked me up, clearly showing off his strength, and I laughed harder as he spun me.

There was suddenly a knock at the door, and I saw Toby go to answer it. As he did, Kyle put me down and I climbed onto the couch to jump onto his back like I always used to do when we were kids. He caught me, and Toby watched us, cracking up as he opened the door. The laughter quickly died down, though, when I saw Carlos standing in the door. He was looking _incredibly_ cute, but still had an uncomfortable expression on his face as I slid off of Kyle's back. I gave him an awkward smile "Oh, hey Carlos; is it 6:00 already?"

"_6 o'clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream!_" Kyle sang.

"_I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream,_" I replied in song, and Carlos' eyes widened before I turned to him and went back to my normal voice, "Sorry, introductions are probably in order. These are my brothers Kyle and Toby," I pointed my over my shoulder at the guys as I introduced them, then turned to the pair, "Guys, this is Carlos…"

"Garcia," he finished for me, smiling a bit and waving to the guys, then turned to me, "Listen, if you're in the middle of something, you don't have to co-"

"No, no, no, if you've got somewhere to be, we'll let you go," Toby said, shooting Kyle a look as he made to retort, "We should probably get back to the hotel, anyway. We'll swing by tomorrow for some breakfast… say, around 9:00? I'll buy."

"Sounds good," I smiled, "I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow?"

"Yes you shall," Toby said, throwing an arm around my shoulders and squeezing them lightly. I gave him a thankful look and he just smiled and nodded, kissing me lightly on the forehead before turning to Kyle, "C'mon, Ky; let's get out of here."

Kyle nodded, shooting Carlos a threatening look before hugging me and leaving the room with Toby. I waved to the guys, but once they were down in the elevators, I turned to Carlos, "Sorry about my brothers; Kyle's always been hyper-protective of me and Toby's just… Toby. Nothing to worry about."

"Okay…" he looked reluctant, but then smiled, "Well, it was nice getting to meet 'em, either way."

"Glad you think so," I said, then stood aside from the doorjamb, "Oh, sorry, come in. I've still gotta get changed, so just make yourself comfortable; I'll be right out."

"Wait, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, looking at me curiously, "Before you go, I mean."

"Sure…?" I closed the door behind him, "What's up?"

"Do you sing?" he asked quickly, and I was taken aback by how sudden it was, "Like, regularly?"

"Not really," I said, sitting down on the couch, "I mean, I've dabbled, but never really seriously considered it for a career or anything. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that… you're good," he said, sitting down next to me, "Like, _really_ good."

"You think so?" I asked, feeling myself blush.

Carlos nodded, "Definitely. I mean, I only heard, like, five seconds of it, but still."

I blushed deeper, "Well, maybe we could duet some time."

"I'd like that," Carlos smiled, and I felt my stomach clench nervously. We just sat there for a few seconds, and things grew more and more awkward until he cleared his throat, "Well, shouldn't you get changed? The guys are probably starting to wonder where we are."

"Probably," I said with a nervous laugh, standing up quickly, "I'll be right back."

Going into my room quickly, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, sighing as I absorbed everything that'd happened out there. Once my heart had calmed down, I sighed, muttering to myself, "Okay, Erin, just breathe. He's just a guy… just a really cute, nice guy who seems to actually be _interested_ in you. Nothing to worry about."

I shook my head slightly to clear it and sighed, going over to my closet and rooting through my clothes. Finally deciding on an outfit, I pulled it on and left the room. Carlos turned around as the door closed behind me and he smiled slightly, "Wow, you look good."

"Thanks," I blushed as I fingered the end of one of the braided pigtails I'd woven my hair into while I was talking to Jo. Carlos stood up, then jumped when he got a better look at my face. I smiled apologetically, "Yeah, I wasn't wearing anything in my piercings when I was down at the pool, so this is obviously a surprise. Nothing to worry about, though; Toby owns a tattoo/piercing pagoda and his wife's a cosmetologist, so I often wind up being their guinea pig."

"Seriously?" he asked, looking over the piercings in my eyebrow, cartilage, and lip again.

I nodded, "It was a _slightly_ rebellious thing to begin with, but eventually my parents just dealt with it; no one else wanted to let Toby test out his new tools or have Liv practice on them."

"Okay," Carlos relaxed, obviously glad I wasn't some hard-ass chick that was rebelling against her parents, "Anyway, let's go; it's already 6:30."

"Good idea," I said with a laugh, picking up my keys and following Carlos out of the apartment. He opened the door to his, and I felt my jaw drop open at the first thing that caught my eye. Raising a shaking finger, I pointed to it, barely able to form words in my shock, "Swirly… slide."

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******I could not _resist_ ending it like that; especially since that's probably what I would do if I was seeing their apartment for the first time (I'm trying to base this character off myself, just so you guys know). And the brothers might grow to be more major characters, but really I put them there to kind of establish some personalities in them. What do you guys think? Keep 'em? Lose 'em? I'm willing to listen!*****

**And YAY! I got a little Carlos cuteness in there; I've been trying to figure out what to do with him :D  
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**Okay... rant finished, so yeah. PLEASE review, I love hearing what people think! Thanks!**

**- Sully the Sherinllama (my friends call me that sometimes; don't ask XD)  
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	4. Behind Those Hazel Eyes

**Once again, thank you to those who reviewed, you guys seriously make my DAY when I see the emails in my inbox :)**

**Blah blah blah, I don't own BTR, only my OC's and the plot, so let's move on, please!**

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The rest of the night was great; I spent my time hanging out with the guys and getting to know them, and Jo introduced me to Camille; the Palm Woods' resident method actress. She was really nice, willing to answer any questions I had about the place and telling me more about the guys (and her crush on Logan was _glaringly_ obvious, even to a new girl like me). Eventually, after my… I believe fifth trip down the swirly slide, I went over and crashed with James on the couch, "Okay, it's official; you guys have the coolest apartment in the _entire_ building."

"You should've seen what we had to go through just to get it here," he told me with a laugh, laying his arm casually on the couch behind me.

"Oh?" I cocked a curious eyebrow, taking a sip of Dr. Pepper, "Do I want to know?"

"Let's just say that it involved trickery, devious plans, and Bandana Man locking your uncle in a storage closet," he told me, smiling mischievously.

"Bandana Man?" I asked curiously, "That wouldn't have anything to do with _these_, now would it?" I picked up the loose end of a bandana he had tied around his wrist and used it to wave his hand and wrist in front of his face.

"No!" he said quickly, wrenching it out of my grip.

"Well…" I smirked, "Next time you see him thank him for me and tell him I would've _gladly_ helped him if I was here for it."

"I'll make sure to let him know," James told me, and we both laughed, me doubling over slightly as I realized how ridiculous that whole exchange had been. Once we'd both calmed down, I looked back up at him and my eyes locked with his. I had to admit that he had _really_ nice eyes, and the hazel grew to a darker green as they searched my own curiously. I could practically feel the blood rushing to my face, so I was pretty positive the blue of my eyes would stand out, even though they were hidden behind my glasses.

"All right everyone, time to hit the sack!" Mrs. Knight, Kendall's mom, brought me back to reality and I tore my eyes away from James to see her ushering the guys towards their rooms, "It was nice seeing the girls, yes, and it was great to meet you, Erin."

"Nice meeting you too, Mrs. Knight," I said with a smile, standing up from the couch, "And you're right, it's time to get going; it's been a long day for me and I need to get some sleep. 'Night, all."

"What, no hug?" James asked, standing up behind me.

"Dude, I haven't even known you for a _day_," I pointed out, spinning back around to face him, "What makes you think you're worthy of a hug?"

"Because I'm _me_," he said, sounding like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes playfully; guys acting like that usually got on my nerves, but James made it almost sweet. He smiled, opening his arms, and I smirked as I hugged him, resting my head on his chest and recognizing the strong scent of 'Cuda man-spray.

"Hey, what about me?" I heard another voice and turned to see Carlos standing behind us.

I smiled, pulling away from James, "Sorry Carlos, forgot that you deserve one, too."

He smiled himself, hugging me tightly before pulling away and looking at me, "And have fun at breakfast tomorrow, okay?"

"Most definitely," I nodded, tapping his helmet a few times, "And you try not to knock any other poor, innocent girls into the pool, all right?" he smiled, nodding and adjusting his helmet as I turned back to James, "And it was great meeting you guys today; it really made it easier to get used to the Palm Woods. See you around."

Leaving the apartment, I went across the hall to mine and unlocked it, tossing the keys on the coffee table again as I entered it. As I changed into some pajamas, I thought back to the guys again. Carlos was easily the most prominent figure in my mind, but occasionally a certain pair of hypnotic hazel eyes found their way into my thoughts.

_No, no, NO,_ I thought to myself, quickly shaking my head a bit, _you're __not__ here to get a boyfriend. You're only here for the summer and that's __it__, nothing more. You're not here for a summer romance, you're here for a roof over your head._ As I crawled under the covers and put my glasses on the nightstand, I scoffed, rolling over and closing my eyes, _now, actually __believing__ that; therein lays the problem. This should be interesting…

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**Sorry it's a little shorter than usual; these chapters are shorter than I usually write and sometimes they wind up shorter than I plan. I couldn't resist throwing Bandana Man in there, though; when I first saw Big Time Crib I couldn't stop laughing it it XD and for Carlos fans I'm going to try and put in a little more cuteness with him, too, I just had this idea with James and rolled with it. So... I believe I'm sufficiently explained... so yeah, REVIEWWWWW!**

***On a side note: Today is Carlos' 21st birthday, so happy birthday to him! And I ALSO can't wait for Big Time Concert! That plus the week-long marathon of BTR makes this Berry a VERY happy girl :D*  
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	5. Turino's?

**Usual disclaimer, don't own anything; not the boys, not the show, not the characters, not the music, nada.**

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"Hide me!" when I was coming back from breakfast the next day, I suddenly heard a voice and turned to see a small red-headed kid that I recognized from various juice box commercials. He was running towards me, and I quickly stepped aside for him to dive behind the plant I was standing in front of. A heavyset, bespectacled woman who could only be his mother came running in behind him, and I saw her look around quickly before running back out, heading for the pool.

"All clear," I said as soon as I was sure she wasn't going to come back.

"Thanks," he said, poking his head out from behind the plant and coming back out in the open. Looking up at me, he did a quick double-take, "Oh, hey, you're the new girl, aren't you?"

"Just moved in yesterday," I admitted, shrugging.

"Wow, Carlos wasn't kidding; you _are_ hot!"

"Ex_cuse_ me?" I gave the kid a look.

"I heard him talking to Logan about you yesterday," he said with a shrug, but then there was the sound of a woman calling 'TYLER!' "Oh, gotta go."

He ran off and I watched as the kid, apparently named Tyler, ran off and I just stood there, bewildered. _Carlos thinks I'm __hot__? _I thought to myself, walking towards the pool, _that's__ new. Maybe I have a chance with him after all…_

"Hey Erin," I jumped at a voice and turned to see Jo and Camille sitting on a couple loungers. Camille smiled, "You okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Yeah, I'm fine, you just startled me," I shook my head to clear it, smiling at the girls, "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just looking over some scripts," Jo held up a stack of papers she had in her lap, "How about you? You plan on doing anything here?"

"Not really," I admitted with a shrug, "I'm not really here for any reason beyond having a roof over my head for the summer; come fall, I'm out of here."

"Aww, that's too bad," Camille said sadly.

"Wish you could stay longer," Jo put in.

"Ditto that," I said, sitting on a lounger, "But seeing as I can't act for crap and don't like singing in front of people, I don't really think that I have a chance getting anything out here anyway."

"Hey, you never know," Jo shrugged, "Out here, almost _anything's_ possible."

"I guess," I shrugged myself, "But still; I'm cool with going back to New York once the summer's through. Now," I stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go back up to my room and get changed; something tells me this shirt's going to be too warm pretty soon. Leaving the pool area, I went back up to my room and into my bedroom.

Quickly throwing off the purple buffalo plaid shirt I was wearing over a black tank top with distressed denim shorts, I changed into my favorite black and white lightning-print bikini. I then put a pair of lime green shorts and the tank top on over it, along with a dinosaur necklace, a set of bright green rubber band bracelets, a black watch, and black and white sunburst flip flops. I'd put in my contacts for breakfast, so I just put on a pair of black sunglasses and picking up my phone, a tattered old copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_, and lime green cased iPod touch, I grabbed a towel and left the room, going back to the pool. Before long, I was set up on a lounger and beginning to read, putting in my earbuds and putting on _Check Yes Juliet_ by We the Kings.

Right as I was starting to slip into my own little world like I always do when I read and/or listen to music, I suddenly felt something crash across my legs and I jumped, dropping my book and looking towards my feet. I narrowed my eyes, pulling out a bud and lifting up my glasses to get a better look at who was lying across my shins, "Uhh… hey Carlos."

"Hey Erin, sorry," he quickly stood up, adjusting his helmet nervously.

"Don't worry about it," I said, smiling and closing up my book, "But next time you want my attention, tapping my shoulder will do _just_ as well."

"I'll remember that," he said, laughing a bit and relaxing as he sat down next to me.

I smiled slightly, then checked my watch, "Well, you're back earlier than I expected; it's only 1:30."

"Yeah, we finished quicker than usual," he told me with a shrug, then brightened, "Hey, we were thinking about heading out to the movies tonight; do you wanna come?"

"Sounds like fun," I sat up in the chair a bit and looked up at him, "What were you thinking of seeing?"

"No clue," I jumped at another voice approaching and turned to see Kendall coming towards us with Jo. Kendall smirked at my reaction, continuing, "We were planning on figuring out what to see this afternoon; we just want to get _out_ of here for the night."

"Fair," I shrugged, then looked around, "Where're the other two hockey heads?"

"Over there," Carlos pointed across the pool to where James and Logan were talking to Camille… actually; more like where Logan was talking to Camille and James was admiring himself in Camille's hand mirror.

I smirked, "You guys have _no_ idea how badly I want to push James in the pool right now."

"I know, right?" Carlos laughed, looking at James himself, then turned and gaped when three preppy-looking girls entered the pool area, making every head turn as they walked by.

I bit my lip, feeling jealousy twang in my gut when I saw his expression, but shook it off, standing up and walking away while he was distracted. Going around to the other side of the pool, I smiled in greeting at the other two guys, "Yello' folks."

"Hey Erin," Camille looked up from her lounger, smiling at me, "I forgot to ask; how'd breakfast go earlier?"

"Good…" I bit my lip, choosing to refrain from telling everyone about the offer I'd received, "It was nice seeing _mis hermanos _again, but I'm looking more forward to tonight."

"Oh, so you are coming?" James asked curiously, putting the mirror down (something tells me that it takes some talent for someone to make him do that).

I nodded, putting my sunglasses on top of my head, "You got it; any idea on options?"

"No clue," Logan shrugged, "We're planning on –"

"Figuring it out before we go; I know," I nodded, "Do we at least have a time?"

"Not really," Logan shook his head, shooting Camille a look when she opened her mouth, "But don't worry, we'll let you know."

I nodded, looking at the pair curiously as they stood up and walked back to the lobby. As soon as they were out of earshot, I turned to James, "Okay, what was that about?"

"No clue," he said, watching their retreating backs, "But there's _definitely_ something going on there."

"The question is what," I pointed out, and James nodded in agreement. Smiling slightly, I turned to James, "Shall we figure out what's going on?"

"We shall," he smiled himself, and we both quickly left the pool area. When we got to the lobby, I looked around for Logan and Camille, who had surprisingly disappeared. Suddenly, James tapped my shoulder lightly and pointed towards a table in the corner of the room, whispering quietly, "Over there; what's the plan?"

I looked around the room, trying to find a spot we could try and listen in, then noticed an air vent over their heads. Looking behind me, I saw another vent and nodded, quickly turning to James, "How strong are you?"

"Fairly," he gave me a curious look, "Why?"

"Gimme a boost," I nodded to the vent in the wall behind us, and he turned to look at it.

He smiled a bit, and we stepped back towards the vent. I soon was in it, crawling along to the vent above Logan and Camille. As I approached, I heard Camille's voice, "…didn't you tell Erin and James about tonight? Are you…?"

"No, no, no!" Logan quickly said, "I just don't want anyone knowing because if they do they'll _never_ leave me alone about it!"

"I guess I can understand that…" Camille said, "Well, either way, I can't wait for tonight. I'll see you at 6?"

I didn't hear Logan's reply just caught a quick muttering about 'Turino's' before quickly crawling back through the vent to get back to where James was waiting for me. He heard me coming and turned as I pushed the vent open, "Are you sure this was the best way to figure out what they're up to?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" I laughed a bit as I pushed myself out of the ducts. "Besides, that was fun."

"Well, did you hear anything?" James asked as I landed at his feet.

"They're getting together at 6:00," I told him, straightening up and dusting off my shorts, "And I heard something about 'Turino's', whatever that is."

"_Turino's_?" James exclaimed loudly, getting half the kids in the lobby to turn around curiously, "That's one of the nicest restaurants in the city!"

"Then it's a dinner date?" I asked, and James nodded enthusiastically. Smiling a bit, I looked towards the table, where Logan was still sitting, "You're thinking what I'm thinking, right?"

"Meet up in our apartment in 10?" he asked.

"Make sure Logan's there," I nodded, smiling a bit, "Operation: Date Night is now a go!"

* * *

**Okay, I know, the whole duct-crawling thing was a little extreme, but I'd just watched Big Time Blogger and the idea was in my brain. Besides, would that _not_ be fun? Anywho... I'm actually going camping this week, so I'm not going to be able to update for a few days. Sorry! I'm going to post up one more chapter before I leave, but I'm going to be gone for a few days, so I obviously won't be able to get to a computer. Just warning you guys ahead of time. :) Review please!**

****Also, I'm going to the DMV tomorrow to test for my permit, so wish me luck! :D**  
**


	6. Of Dates and Dodges

**Disclaim, disclaim, disclaim, and once again, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! Not as many as I was hoping for, though... but whatevs, I just love the fact you guys are reading! Thank ya!  
**

* * *

"Guys, what's going on here?" Logan asked as James and I sat him down on the couch. We were in the guys' apartment along with Kendall and Carlos, helping Logan get ready for his date with Camille.

"I'll tell you what's going on," I told him, "We are helping _you_ get ready for your date tonight."

"D-d-_date_?" Logan stammered, his voice rising in pitch, "I-I-I don't have a date, what're you talking about?"

"Looks like you should keep your conversations a bit quieter," Kendall said; James and I had told him and Carlos about the plan for Logan and agreed to help us out.

"How did you guys even figure it out?" Logan asked us, "I mean, I made sure that _none_ of you were around when I asked her."

"Tyler told us," Carlos said with a shrug, and I silently begged for him not to give away the real reason, "He was hiding in a garbage can when you asked her."

Logan made to say something, but James held up a hand to stop him, "Listen to us, Logan; this is your first _real_ date."

"And," I put in, "With our help, it's bound to be the best first date _anyone's_ ever had."

Logan made to retort, but then sighed, "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope," we all said in unison.

He sighed, "Okay, okay, but can we at least _try_ and make this as painless as possible?"

"Deal," I said, laughing slightly, "Now, Carlos and I are going to figure out what you're going to wear while these two," I pointed over my shoulders at James and Kendall, "Are going to coach you on the conversation aspect of the evening. Now, if you'll please excuse us…" I grabbed Carlos' arm and dragged him into his and Logan's room.

"You really think this is going to work?" Carlos asked as he crashed on a bed that I assumed was his, judging by how messy the side of the room was.

"I hope so," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket and tossing it to him, "Let me know if Jo texts, okay?"

"Okay…" he looked confused, but just shrugged and put the phone on the bed before looking back at me, "So, why'd you ask _me_ to help you out with this part of it?"

"Because Kendall and James are smoother operators when it comes to girls, so they can help out Logan with talking to her," I explained, opening up the closet and looking through the clothes hanging on the rack, "And you're about Logan's size, so you can model things if need be." I heard a _thump _behind me and turned to see Carlos on the floor, frantically adjusting his helmet as he tried to sit up. I laughed, going over and helping him up, "Dude, I was _kidding_, don't worry."

"Oh, okay," he said, obviously relieved as he sat back on the bed. I smiled a bit, then blushed when I remembered what Tyler had told me about Carlos thinking I was hot. He clearly noticed, though, since he gave me a curious look, "What's up?"

"Nothing," I quickly turned away, going back to the closet, "Just thinking, is all. Now c'mon, let's figure this thing out." I started looking through the clothes again, but stopped when I came across a dreadlocks wig. I turned around, curiously holding it up, "Do I _want_ to know?"

"Probably not," Carlos laughed, "I'll explain another time; right now you focus on clothes."

Eventually, we were able to decide on a light gray t-shirt with a black silhouette eagle on it with a basic black jacket, dark jeans, and black high-top sneakers (that we'd stolen from James' closet). Putting all this together, we went back out to where the other three were still on the couch. Kendall looked up as we came in, smiling when he saw all the clothes gathered up in my arms, "Are we set?"

"Yep," I handed the outfit to a shocked Logan, "All quiet on the wardrobe front. How goes the speech therapy?"

"We're just about set here," James said, standing up, "And what do you think of us seeing the new _Nightmare on Elm Street_ movie tonight?"

"Sounds good," I said, and we shared a knowing look; a stereotypical scary movie ditch was the next phase of our plan, after the dinner aspect.

"Now," Kendall gave Logan a quick shove towards their bedrooms, "Go get changed; it's almost 6:00!"

Logan gave me a pleading look, but I just shrugged and gestured for him to go on ahead. Once I'd heard the door close, I turned to the rest of the guys, "Okay, what's the plan for us? If Logan has the Big Time Rush-Mobile, how're we gonna meet up with them at the theatre?"

Before any of the guys could answer, there was a knock at the door. We all shared a look and shrugged before James went to answer the door. I followed him, and we both yelped when we saw Uncle Reg standing on the other side. He sneered at me, "I thought I might find you here."

"What's up?" I asked, cowering behind James slightly.

"Your parents sent this to you," he said, offering me an envelope, "I don't know what it is, but it just came."

"Thanks…" I gave him a curious look, taking the envelope and stepping out from behind James, "Now, don't you have sleeping or something to get to?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, eyeing the envelope in my hands curiously.

"In other words, _leave_!" James snapped at him, slamming the door in his face.

"Well, _that_ was nice of you," I muttered sarcastically, ripping open the envelope and pulling out the note that was inside.

"Would you have handled it any differently?"

"Probably not," I laughed a bit, opening the letter and scanning it quickly, "Hey, it's from Mom and Dad!"

"What's it say?" Carlos asked as he and Kendall came over.

"Usual stuff, hoping I moved in okay and telling me they miss me…" I said, reading the letter as James looked over my shoulder, but then my eyes widened, "Wait a second, there's something here: 'We're not sure when this is going to get to you, but hopefully it'll be useful; check the envelope for a surprise.'"

"A surprise?" Kendall asked, taking the envelope that was still in my hands. Tipping it on its side, all of our eyes widened when a set of keys fell into his open palm.

"Whose car are those to?" I heard Logan's voice and we all turned to see him dressed and ready.

"Impressive," I nodded in approval, then turned to James, "What do you think?"

"Looks good," he nodded himself, then turned back to Kendall, "But what the heck? Keys?"

"Wait…" I took the keys from Kendall and turned them over in my hand, "I know these keys…"

"What _keys_?" Logan asked, clearly confused.

"Kendall, Carlos, explain what's going on here," I instructed, then turned to James, "You and I are going down to the parking lot and seeing what this is about."

We both bolted out of the room and down the stairs to the lobby. I stopped him, and we calmly walked past the front desk, where Uncle Reg was watching us closely. I hid the keys from his view until we got out of the lobby, then scanned the parking lot anxiously. "What exactly are we looking for, here?" James asked, looking around himself.

"That," I pointed to a car, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards it. When we got close enough, I beamed, coming to a stop.

"What is that?" James asked, gesturing to the black beauty in front of us.

"_That_," I said, "Is my dad's old Charger. He bought this car and fixed it up himself back when I was, like, 10. He's been pitting the 'finishing touches' on it for about 3 years. He knew how much I loved it, but I never expected him to actually _give_ it to me."

"You don't say…" James sounded kind of distracted, and when I looked over at him, I noticed him looking down at something between us. Looking down myself, I noticed our hands were still entwined with each other and made to pull away, but he tightened his grip slightly, making it so I couldn't. I gave him a curious look, but he just turned back to the car, "So, what's this mean?"

"I'll tell you what it means," I told him, "It means that we've got a ride for tonight."

"I like the sound of that," James said with a swoon-worthy smile, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

I laughed nervously, pulling away from him and taking my phone out of my pocket. As I made to dial Carlos, though, it started ringing. I didn't recognize the number, but then noticed the city the call was coming from: San Juan, Puerto Rico. I smiled widely, answering the call and putting the phone to my ear, "Yello'?"

"Erin?" I recognized Mom's voice, "Oh, thank _goodness_ we caught you! I was thinking you might be off with friends or something."

"No worries," I said, still beaming, "Is Dad there?"

"Yes, he's right here," Mom said, then there was a crackling noise and Dad's voice came over the line, "Hey there, baby doll, how's LA?"

"You're giving me the Charger?" I asked right off the bat, not even bothering to answer his question.

Dad laughed, "I figured you were going to ask about that. Yes, it's all yours."

"But why me?" I asked, "I mean, why not Toby or Kyle?"

"It wasn't ready by the time Toby turned 16," he told me, "And Kyle was dead-set on buying his own, so who was I to deny him? That left you."

"Okay, you are officially the best dad in the world!" I cheered, and James laughed in amusement, "You _knew_ how much I loved this car!"

"Hence the fact I gave it to you," he said with a chuckle, "Now, listen, we have to go; we were only able to get out one call to you. Hope you're having a good time, baby doll."

"I am, don't worry," I told him, "Love ya, guys."

"Love you, too," he said, and then there was a click and the line was dead.

"Your parents?" James asked as I took the phone away from my ear.

I nodded, "Yeah; they couldn't have had better timing."

"No kidding," he said, then looked up at the windows and laughed, "Looks like you need to get your lock fixed."

"What do you me–" I looked up at the windows and felt my jaw drop when I saw the other three guys with their noses pressed against the glass of my apartment window. I smiled, waving to them and keeping it on my face as I spoke through gritted teeth, "I _knew_ there was something wrong with that apartment."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a phone and James pulled his out quickly. Looking at the front screen, he laughed and opened it up, putting it on speaker, "Hey Carlos, what's up?"

"Is that our car?" Carlos asked excitedly, and I looked up to see him looking like a little kid on Christmas as he watched us.

"More like Erin's," James explained, pointing to me to indicate to the rest of the group.

"But, I'm more than happy to drive to the movies tonight," I put in, then heard a cheer on the other end of the line, "But if you guys mess up my leather, you're the ones paying for it."

"Deal!" the other three chorused.

"Good, now shouldn't Logan be with Camille right now?" I grabbed James' wrist and pulled it up to my face so I could read his watch, "It's already quarter after six."

"He was just going," Kendall said, and I looked up to see him pushing Logan away from the window, "He'll be at Camille's in no time."

"Awesome," James nodded, turning back to the phone, "Now, shouldn't _we_ be getting ready for tonight?"

"Good idea," Carlos admitted, "We'll see you guys soon!"

I laughed as there was a click, "Well, looks like we've got preparations to do."

"No kidding," James laughed himself, then offered me his arm, "May I offer a lovely lady an escort back to her apartment?"

"I can walk back myself, thank you very much," I said, turning my back on him and walking back towards the building, "I'll see you later."

He stammered behind me and I smirked; _looks like the infamous James Diamond has been knocked down a peg or two. Tonight should be fun.

* * *

_

**Okay, many many author's notes here**

**A: I'm going camping with my mom tomorrow and am not going to be coming back until Friday afternoon. Obviously, I won't be able to update, so I tried to make this longer than usual as an apology... Chapter 7 should be a bit longer, too :)**

**B: The car that I'm picturing is a 1968 Dodge Charger, there's a link to a picture of one on my profile if you're curious.**

**C: I got the car year and model and such from another show I absolutely LOVE in which the main character owns one that was given to him by his father. If anyone can name the show, they are officially my new best friend.**

**So... methinks that's all, so yes; REVIEW! I always look forward to getting them and am hoping to have plenty by the time I come back from camping, so please try and make that possible! :D  
**


	7. Of Cars and Confessions

Chapter 7 – Of Cars and Confessions

"Jo, _chill_!" I said for the hundredth time to the blond who was sitting on my couch, bouncing her knee nervously, "I'm sure everything's going just fine."

"I guess you're right…" she admitted, "I guess I'm just worried; Camille's my best friend and I want this to be perfect for her. At least Logan was able to pluck up the courage to actually ask her out normally this time."

I was curious as to what she meant, but decided against asking and just smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, with how coordinated our efforts were it's bound to be going _perfectly_." She just shrugged, and I rolled my eyes, "All right, new plan; you want to help me pick out my outfit for tonight? I'm having a little trouble deciding and it might get your mind off things."

"All right…" she smiled slightly, "I guess it might help me a bit."

"Awesome," I grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the couch, "Let's get working!"

We went into my bedroom and spent the next hour or so looking through all my clothes and eventually decided on a pair of distressed skinny jeans, a purple tank top layered under a short-sleeved black plaid shirt, black suede boots, and a black fedora with a checked band above the brim. That was coupled with my favorite 'Hockey' necklace, a purple watch, two rings; a silver dinosaur and purple and silver rhinestone heart, and a stack of black jelly bracelets on my right wrist. Once I was done with that, I addressed my multitude of piercings; putting my usual black rounded barbell in my lip, an acrylic dice rounded barbell in my eyebrow, a moon cut-out ear shield in my cartilage, and two sets of studs in my lobes; one purple and the other black.

Once I was done with everything, I turned to Jo, "So? How do I look?"

"Perfect," she nodded in approval, "But your hair doesn't look good in a ponytail; with how your tips are done we need to try something else."

I thought about it for a second, then snapped my finger, "What about that double-braid thing I did yesterday? That'd probably look good under a hat."

"Yeah, and the fact that Carlos loved it last night has _nothing_ to do with it, I'm sure," Jo said, and I spun around to see her giving me a knowing smile.

"What're you talking about?" I asked her, spinning back around and pulling my hair out of the ponytail to do the braids.

"Erin, I'm not blind," Jo said with a bit of a laugh, "I saw how you and Carlos were looking at each other when we were hanging out last night. You like him."

I couldn't exactly deny she was right, but it still unnerved me when, whenever I thought about _El Chico_ in question, another face floated into my brain, as well. A face with great hair and an amazing smile… I shook it off, turning back to Jo, "And if I did?"

"Then I'd offer my services," she told me, smiling a bit, "I can easily help you get closer to the guy."

"Thanks but no thanks," I said, turning back to my mirror and grabbing my eyeliner, "I've got enough stuff on my mind to worry about guys."

"If you say so…" Jo told me, shrugging, "But if you change your mind Camille and I would be more than happy to help you out."

"I'll remember that," I smiled, nodding in thanks before dusting on my favorite eye shadow, applying some mascara, and spinning around. I struck a pose, "I feel hot."

"You look it," Jo said with a laugh, standing up from my bed, "Now come on; it's almost 7:45."

We'd decided on an 8:30 showing, so the plan was for me and Jo to meet up with Camille and the guys in the lobby at 7:45 (Logan had promised to be back by 7:30, and he was. On the dot. I swear, that boy is going to take some getting used to). At that point, we were going to figure out rides and drive out to the theatre.

Jo and I rode down in the elevator, and once I stepped out into the lobby I heard a guy with a guitar call from the corner of the room, "Lookin' good there, new girl!"

I felt myself blush as the guys turned around, and Jo had to gently nudge me ahead towards them. As I approached, I noticed Carlos with his mouth agape as he looked at me. "What'd I tell you?" Jo asked quietly, and I elbowed her lightly in the ribs as she chuckled.

"Hey there, guys," Kendall said, smiling in greeting, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, but what're we going to do for rides?" Camille asked from where she and Logan were sitting together on one of the couches (judging by how close they were, the date had gone well).

"Well… you have your license, right, Erin?" Kendall asked.

"Oh, no, my parents just sent me an incredible car that I can't drive," I said sarcastically, getting a laugh out of the rest of the group, "Yeah, I can drive people."

"I call shotgun!" James cried out, causing half the lobby to turn to us (god, he has _got_ to stop doing that).

"You don't even know what car you're going in," Carlos pointed out.

"I don't care," James shrugged, "I just wanna ride shotgun."

"Okay…" Jo let out an exasperated sigh, "How about Kendall and I ride with Logan and Camille; James and Carlos can go with Erin."

I felt myself tense up; I barely even knew how to deal with _one_ of those guys, having both of them together was just trouble waiting to happen. "Actually," Kendall spoke up, "How about Jo and I ride with Erin? I'm curious about that Charger."

I breathed an internal sigh of relief as James started stammering, "But, but, but…"

"You can ride shotgun in the car on the way back," Logan told him with a roll of his eyes, then stood up, "Now come on, don't we have a movie to get to?"

We all agreed and walked out to where the cars were waiting. As I unlocked the Charger, I turned to Kendall, "Dude, I owe you; how'd you know what to do for the rides?"

"You should've seen your face when Jo made the suggestion," he told me with a laugh, "It was pretty clear something else would've worked better."

"No kidding," I laughed myself, nodding in agreement, "But seriously, thanks."

He just shrugged, pushing the front seat forward and climbing into the back. I got into the driver's seat as Jo climbed in, and nervously bit my lip as I turned the car on. Everything seemed to be in working order, so I pulled out of my spot and drove out of the parking lot. The drive to the theatre didn't take very long, but parking was _excruciating_. I mean, seriously, was _everyone_ in LA here tonight? When we _finally_ were approaching the theatre, I saw James standing there, his arms crossed impatiently. I smiled sheepishly as we approached, and he brandished a comb that was in his hand at us, "About time you all showed up."

"Hey, you try parking out here!" I gestured to the expanse of parking lot behind us, "I'm surprised you guys aren't still fumbling around, looking for a spot!"

"Erin," Kendall put a hand on my shoulder to get my attention, "Logan was driving; they probably found a spot in about 5 seconds."

I made to retort, but then sighed in defeat; from what I knew about Logan that was a valid point. Kendall smirked, and he and Jo went into the theatre building. As the door closed behind them, I turned to James, "So, is there another reason you were freaking out on us? You upset you're missing valuable girl time?"

"No!" he quickly denied, then looked away from me just as quickly. I cocked an eyebrow, and he looked back at me, speaking quietly, "I was a little worried about you. You don't know the streets and easily could've gotten into an accident or something."

"Worried?" I repeated, taken aback by the sudden drop in confidence I sensed in the guy. When he nodded, I felt myself blush, "Well, that's sweet of you."

He just shrugged, shuffling his feet a bit before straightening up, his air of self-confidence coming back as quickly as it had left, "Well, let's get going; those tickets aren't going to buy themselves, you know!"

I smiled, laughing a bit as we walked inside, but something inside kept on gnawing at my brain; Carlos was awesome, but James was… I don't know, intriguing. There were some things I knew for sure, though. Both were very attractive guys. Both were _incredibly_ sweet, at least in their own way. Both were single. And… I had _no_ clue whatsoever as to what to do about them. HELP ME!

* * *

**GUESS WHO'S BACK! *triumphant applause* Haha, sorry, that was my self-indulgence for the time being. Anyway... notes time!**

**1: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Or whatever other holiday you may celebrate**

**2: I feel _horrible_ for not updating since the summer! I just got wrapped up in school prep and everything and the story kinda took the back burner of my mind. I'm going to try and get back to normal updates, though, but they probably won't be as frequent as they used to be since I have school to worry about (Junior year's a BITCH!)**

**3: I'm still kinda wondering who she's going to wind up with, so if you have any suggestions I'd appreciate them! Heck, it doesn't even have to be Carlos or James; I could mix it up a bit and have it be Logan or Kendall. It's all up in the air right now.**

**Anywho... methinks that's it... so yeah; REVIEW! It'll help ease my guilt for making you wait so long!  
**


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